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Expression of P2X receptors in the rat anterior pituitary

Purinergic Signalling volume 16, pages 17–28 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

In this study, the distribution patterns of P2X1 to P2X7 receptors in the anterior pituitary cells of rat were studied with single-, double-, and triple-labeling immunofluorescence, combined method of immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization, and Western blot. The results showed that the expression level of the P2X4 receptor protein was highest, followed by P2X5, P2X3, P2X2, P2X6, and P2X7 receptor proteins, but no P2X1 receptor protein was detected. Strong P2X4 receptor-immunoreactivity was detected in almost all the anterior pituitary cells. Different combinations of P2X receptors were detected in each individual cell type of the rat anterior pituitary. Gonadotrophs express P2X4, P2X5, and P2X6 receptors. Corticotrophs express P2X3 and P2X4 receptors. Folliculo-stellate cells express P2X2 and P2X4 receptors, and somatotrophs, lactotrophs, and thyrotrophs express only P2X4 receptors. The macrophages with Iba-1-ir expressed P2X7 receptors. The possible functions of these P2X receptors in each individual cell type of the rat anterior pituitary are discussed.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of P. R. China (81471260 to Z Xiang).

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Author notes

  1. Wenqi Zhao, Yu Zhang and Ruihua Ji contributed equally to this work.

Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Ministry of Education, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People’s Republic of China

    Wenqi Zhao, Yu Zhang & Zhenghua Xiang

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, China

    Wenqi Zhao, Yu Zhang, Ruihua Ji & Hongbin Yuan

  3. Autonomic Neuroscience Centre, University College Medical School, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK

    Gillian E. Knight & Geoffrey Burnstock

  4. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Geoffrey Burnstock

  5. Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia

    Geoffrey Burnstock

Authors
  1. Wenqi Zhao
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  2. Yu Zhang
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  3. Ruihua Ji
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  4. Gillian E. Knight
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  5. Geoffrey Burnstock
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  6. Hongbin Yuan
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  7. Zhenghua Xiang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hongbin Yuan or Zhenghua Xiang.

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Conflicts of interest

Wenqi Zhao declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Yu Zhang declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Ruihua Ji declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Gillian E. Knight declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Geoffrey Burnstock declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Hongbin Yuan declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Zhenghua Xiang declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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All experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the Second Military Medical University.

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Supplementary Figure 1

control experiment of immunofluorescence. A to G show the results in the sections incubated with the P2X1 to P2X7 antibodies pre-absorbed with their relative peptides. Note that no obvious immunofluorescence signals were detected in the sections. All scale bars = 120 μm. (JPG 899 kb)

Supplementary Figure 2

control experiment of in situ hybridization. A and B show the results of the sections incubated with GH and PRL sense oligonucleotide probes. Note that no obvious hybridization signals were detected. All scale bars = 120 μm. (JPG 689 kb)

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Zhao, W., Zhang, Y., Ji, R. et al. Expression of P2X receptors in the rat anterior pituitary. Purinergic Signalling 16, 17–28 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11302-019-09685-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11302-019-09685-y

Keywords

  • P2X receptors
  • Pituitary
  • Immunofluorescence
  • In situ hybridization
  • Rat